Kasich Signs Senate Bill 5; Unions Prepare To Fight

Enlarge ImageGov. Kasich praised lawmakers who worked to pass the bill. He has said that his $55.5 billion, two-year state budget counts on unspecified savings from lifting union protections to fill an $8 billion hole.

The measure affects safety workers, teachers, nurses and other government personnel. It
allows unions to negotiate wages and certain working conditions but not health care, sick time or
pension benefits. It gets rid of automatic pay increases, and replaces them with merit raises or
performance pay. Workers would also be banned from striking.

A ballot challenge would stall implementation of the law that Republicans championed as vital
to Ohio's economic future.

Republicans plan to launch a Web site,
www.sb5truth.com, to correct what they see as falsehoods
about the measure.

Kasich has said his $55.5 billion, two-year state budget counts on unspecified savings from
lifting union protections to fill an $8 billion hole.

The bill has drawn thousands of demonstrators, prompted a visit from the Rev. Jesse Jackson
and packed hearing rooms in the weeks before the Senate passed the earlier version of the measure.
Its reception in the House had been quieter, as unions resolved themselves to its approval and
shifted their strategy to the fall ballot.

Opponents of the bill said they will seek the 230,000 signatures needed to put a referendum
on the November ballot.

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